Equity Management held a symposium concerning the drought in California and what homeowner associations should be focused on for excellent water management. There were several great presentations including one from Jon Epsten, an attorney at Epsten Grinnell & Howell. Jon’s presentation focused on how the scope of work and contract can make a significant difference in water management. He explained how the HOA contract can… Read more »

Even as Californians unite against the drought, I have been forced to build a dam to hold back the amount of negative press surrounding how much water Californians have been using this year. SF Gate reported in July “state data showed water use statewide has increased 1 percent over the past three years, despite calls from Gov. Jerry Brown for Californians to cut their water use… Read more »

Even as Californians unite against drought, I have been forced to build a dam to hold back the amount of negative press surrounding how much water Californians have been using this year. SF Gate reported in July “state data showed water use statewide has increased 1 percent over the past three years, despite calls from Gov. Jerry Brown for Californians to cut their water use by 20… Read more »

There is the same amount of water on earth today as when the earth was formed. The water that came from your faucet could contain molecules ancient humans drank. Think about this the next time you scoop up a handful of almonds. It takes over a gallon of water to produce just one almond. This is a great water fact for cocktail parties. Frozen water is 9% lighter than water, which is why ice floats… Read more »

The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) approved emergency drought regulations on July 15 prohibiting the application of potable water to outdoor landscapes in a manner that causes runoff. They also approved prohibiting potable water in a fountain or other decorative water feature unless the water is part of a recirculating system. The new water restrictions also bar residents and commercial water users from using drinkable water to hose off sidewalks… Read more »

Water bills are a challenge for most consumers to understand and getting more complicated. If I ask someone who drives, what is the price of a gallon a gas they can respond in a few seconds and be relatively close to the exact amount they would pay at their local gas station. If I ask the same person about the price of a barrel of oil sometimes they know, but if they are able to… Read more »

Rain is an important step in the water cycle and the first step for proper water management of landscape irrigation. For those living in warm dry regions it is hard to imagine growing crops or landscapes with just the rain water harvested from your geographic area. According to the EPA, nationwide, landscape irrigation accounts for nearly one-third of all residential water use, totaling nearly 9 billion gallons per day. The… Read more »

71% of the earth is covered by oceans and weekly I get the same question – Why don’t we just use ocean water to solve the water problems you keep talking about? Removing salt from water, especially ocean water in coastal communities is an option for solving our water issues. Desalination is the process used to remove salt and minerals from seawater or brackish water (brackish water is less salty than sea water and more… Read more »

We learned about water stocks and water banks so it just seems natural to make the next step to water bonds. In this case specifically, the California Water Bond or as many people like to refer to it as – The Safe, Clean, and Reliable Drinking Water Supply Act. The hope is with additional funding of $11 billion, residents of California can rest… Read more »

Water banks have been operating for years now, but generally not known to anyone outside the water industry. Thanks to a recent withdrawal by Metropolitan Water District of Southern California of 80,000 acre-feet from their water savings account in Lake Mead last year and the announcement of another withdrawal soon, (estimated to be twice as large as the last one) many people are now learning about and discussing water banks.